Shocking revelations from Hinduja family's human trafficking trial – Firstpost

The Hindujas, Britain's richest family, are in legal trouble. Four family members have been accused of human trafficking and mistreatment of domestic workers in Switzerland.

The billionaires are on trial in a Swiss court where a prosecutor has alleged the family spent more caring for their dog than caring for their servant.

Who are the Hindujas? What are the shocking accusations against them? Let's understand.

Meet the Hinduja family

The Hinduja family, which runs the multinational conglomerate Hinduja Group, has a net worth of $20 billion (Rs 1.7 lakh crore), according to a report. Forbes estimate last November.

Founded by Parmanand Deepchand (PD) Hinduja in undivided India, the group has a wide range of businesses, from trucks and shipping to media.

PD Hinduja, born in India's then-undivided Sindh district, opened the Hinduja Group's first international office in Iran in 1919. The group's headquarters remained in Iran before moving to Europe, according to the website Conglomerate Internet.

Gopichand Hinduja, a second-generation businessman, is currently its chairman, a role he took over after the death of his elder brother Srihand Hinduja last May.

While he is settled in London, his younger brother Prakash lives in Monaco and the youngest Ashok resides in Mumbai, according to Forbes.

The Hindujas own several prime properties in London, including the Raffles London Hotel.

Some of the group companies include Hinduja Healthcare Limited, Hinduja Bank (Switzerland) Ltd, IndusInd Bank and Ashok Leyland, among others.

Accusations against the Hinduja family

The Hindujas are fighting allegations of exploitation of their Indian staff at their Lake Geneva villa.

Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa told a criminal court on Monday June 17 that the Hindujas “spend more on a dog than on one of their servants,” according to Bloomberg.

He alleged that one of the maids was paid only 7 Swiss francs (Rs 660) for an 18-hour working day, seven days a week. On the other hand, the billionaire family spent 8,584 Swiss francs (around Rs 8 lakh) in a year on their pet dog.

The Hindujas, owners of a villa in the wealthy Cologny district of Geneva, are under surveillance for bringing in Indian staff to look after their children and their home.

According to BBCPrakash and Kamal Hinduja, along with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were accused of seizing the staff's passports and restricting their freedom to leave the house.

There are also accusations that staff were paid for their work in India, meaning they had no Swiss money and therefore little freedom in the European country.

Bertossa alleged that the staff contract did not provide for fixed working hours or weekly holidays, but that they had to be available according to the employers' needs, reported Bloomberg.

Trafficking is a serious criminal offense in Switzerland.

The Swiss prosecutor requested five and a half years in prison for the elderly couple and four and a half years for Ajay and Namrata.

He also asked the court to order the family to pay one million Swiss francs in legal costs and 3.5 million francs in staff compensation funds.

READ ALSO: Hinduja Succession Feud: Inside the epic and messy inheritance dispute of the UK's richest family

What did the Hindujas support?

Although Hindujas' lawyers did not refute the allegations of low pay, they denied mistreating staff.

They also stressed that domestic workers were accommodated and fed. The lawyers also cited testimony from servants that they were treated with respect and dignity.

“The salary cannot simply be reduced to what they were paid in cash” because food and housing were covered, said Yael Hayat, Ajay Hinduja's lawyer, according to Independent.

She also called the 18-hour workday excessive.

“When they sit down to watch a movie with the kids, can that be considered work? I don’t think so,” Hayat said.

According to BloombergAjay Hinduja claimed during the trial that he had no in-depth knowledge of the staff's working conditions, adding that their recruitment was managed by the Hinduja group in India.

The criminal trial continues even after three domestic workers last week settled a civil case against the Hindujas for alleged exploitation.

With the contribution of agencies